HARARE – Billionaire airline boss and philanthropist Richard Branson on Friday made a surprise trip to Harare, flying to the Zimbabwean capital on budget airline Fastjet from Johannesburg.
The Virgin Group founder posed for pictures with Fastjet and airport staff at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
Reasons for the trip were not publicised.
The Brit has made several trips to Zimbabwe over the years, and once claimed that he had bungee-jumped in Victoria Falls.
He has, in the past, made several calls for investment in Zimbabwe. Virgin Unite, the philanthropic arm of Branson’s Virgin Group, in 2010 created Enterprise Zimbabwe, a nonprofit group connecting philanthropists and commercial investors with business and social development opportunities. Not much was heard of the outfit since.
“In life, people have got to take risks. If everybody waits on the sidelines it will be the people who suffer,” said Branson at the time after then President Robert Mugabe agreed to share power with opposition rival Morgan Tsvangirai.
“The present state of politics in Zimbabwe is by no means perfect, but it’s a great deal better. Zimbabwe, of all the African countries, it’s got the best chance of getting back … it just needs a bit of help being kick-started.”
Branson is also understood to be keen to invest in safari operations in southern Africa, which could be part of his agenda on his visit to Zimbabwe.
There was also speculation that Branson, whose trip coincided with the opening of the RGM International Airport’s new terminal building, could be on a mission to scout a new route for his Virgin Atlantic. Zimbabwe has no direct flights to the UK since Air Zimbabwe terminated the Harare-London service in 2012.
Forbes estimates the 72-year-old’s net worth to be about US$3 billion.
